This invention relates generally to controlling access and usage of software, and more particularly, to metering of software usage.
Several common issues arise when software users wish to use specialized software applications, such as technical software applications like circuit design packages or relational databases. A number of these applications are narrowly focused and are useful to a very limited number of technical practitioners. Further, many applications are highly complex and specialized in nature, very complicated to operate, and are often very expensive, sometimes with retail prices of ten of thousands of dollars. Further, these specialized software programs are typically infrequently used by practitioners. The infrequent use of these titles combined with their very high retail prices leads to two common problems. First, technical practitioners will often avoid purchasing these software titles altogether. Unable to justify such purchases, the practitioners will often seek to use programs of lesser quality (and lower price) or alternative methods to solve problems (e.g., hand calculations, “homemade” computer programs or spreadsheets). Second, piracy of specialized technical software is commonplace. Technical practitioners, whether knowingly or unknowingly, will often violate the terms of their software license agreements through unauthorized duplication or concurrent usage.
Conventional technologies do not provide an efficient and non-invasive solution for licensing software on time-based, metered usage basis that allows for more cost-effective access to a range of users, minimizes the incentive for theft or violating the spirit of software licensing terms, enhances user portability and access, leverages the computing power of the user's resident workstation, and provides a secure means to approve, monitor, and charge for time-based metered usage.